Lecaudey Lab - Developmental Biology of Vertebrates

Over the recent years, the Zebrafish Danio rerio has become more and more popular as a model system. We use it to study organogenesis on a primordial group of about 100 cells that will later form the lateral line system, an organ that is common to many aquatic animals. While the Primordium migrates along the embryos flanks its size is maintained and cells take up specific shapes and functions to be incorporated into cell clusters that are then deposited in regular intervals to give rise to the sensory elements of the lateral line called Neuromasts. Those Neuromasts have hair cells that project through the skin to enable the fish to sense movements of water.